Doctrine
Introduction Without any official scriptures or central authority, little scholarly analysis can be made about Culminism. Among the most commonly held Culminist beliefs are a series of features which constitute its central precepts. Nested Systems One of the main central ideas of Culminism is that the universe is an all-encompassing system that contains all other systems. Each system within the universe is inextricably linked, and every system is made up of a multitude of smaller systems of decreasing complexity. Each system requires the interplay of systems that constitute and support it and is required for every system of higher complexity. This places every system in the universe at equal importance to the whole -- with even a single system removed, the greater system wouldn't function the way it does. This is illustrated by the metaphor of the organ and the body; a body needs a specialized collection of cells to function, just as a collection of cells need a body to support. Universal Consciousness A result of this distributed significance across all systems is the idea that all complex systems express a level of consciousness in relation to their relative complexity. Human consciousness is considered to be somewhat average on the universal scale, comparable to other Earthly life forms, but this cannot be verified. The nature, power, and relatability of these modes of consciousness vary widely across the universe, rendering the vast majority of consciousness entirely unrecognizable as such. Embrace of Science All metaphysical claims of Culminism are designed to remain consistent with the established modern scientific consensus of the time. The study and understanding of cycles in the universe are considered by adherents to be a crucial pursuit that requires full knowledge and respect for the practice of the scientific method. A true understanding of one's own purpose or place within their system is considered virtually impossible without extensive study of scientific knowledge along with mindful meditation over that knowledge. Station of Humanity Culminism states that human life has a definite and uncontestable purpose in the universe, but much debate exists over the nature of that purpose, including the core comprehensibility of such a purpose. Most Culminists believe that it would be virtually impossible to fully ascertain humanity's purpose, citing that human consciousness is simply unequipped to manage that information and that only Omnis can have a sufficient understanding of its own purpose and direction. Some claim that an understanding of one's own personal purpose can be achieved through extensive meditation. Humanity is considered only one minor aspect in the machinations of Omnis, and not the central purpose. This belief is at the center of the state of comfortable uncertainty that is experienced by Culminists. Omnis' Purpose Just as the purpose of humanity is fiercely debated, understanding of Omnis and its purpose are also significant points of contention. Most adherents believe that, just as it is impossible to internalize one's own purpose, it is also entirely impossible to conceive of the purpose of the system of the universe, and that every attempt to do so would be fruitless. Some Culminists have even questioned the all-encompassing nature of Omnis, and have proposed that it may also exist within a greater and exponentially more complex system. Few Culminists claim to have a full understanding of Omnis, and those who do tend to be out of the mainstream.